just to stay alive } { be agressive b-e aggressive, b-e-a-g-g-r-e-s-s-i-v-e
[likely_evil is used with permission and love and Sophia is an NPC, while enjoythe_ride is mine to use and abuse as I see fit.]
“Let’s go Bull-Dogs!” CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP.
Michael’s hands clapped idly along with the rhythm of the chants as he sat next to his father at his sister’s basketball game. It wasn’t his particular idea of a good time, but it was one of the few things Sophia did that he could actually tolerate, so he attended. Basketball was down there on his list of favorite sports, but his sister enjoyed it, and she was good at it, so that made it a little easier to bear.
Tonight wasn’t her night, though.
The Bulldogs were down by ten points and Sophia’s shots were all dropping like bricks. She was beating herself up regarding it, and it was obvious, but as it was, Michael couldn’t help the wince as the ball circled the rim, before slipping off and dropping back down to the ground again.
“Man, she is not having a good night,” Michael cringed. “Everything okay?”
“You think she talks to me?” Sam said, raising an eyebrow. “She talks to her mother if we’re lucky. Otherwise, she just storms off to her room and stews.”
Michael cringed, shaking his head as another shot bounced off the rim. “There’s something going on.” He felt his father sigh next to him, but he knew there was nothing they could do. Sophia was like their mother, she kept her cards close as she could until she absolutely had to, and when it affected her performance, she kicked herself for it.
There was missed chest pass to her, and that seemed to be the end of it for the crowd. One of the parents in front of Sam and Michael pushed himself to his feet and started heckling like the angry basketball dad he was.
“Damnit Coach, what are you doing? The girl’s dropping the ball like a brick. Yank her out and get someone with actual skill in there.”
At that, both Sam and Michael straightened behind him. They knew that Sophia wasn’t playing to her potential, but that didn’t mean that this douchebag got to call her out on it. Michael’s eyes wandered down to where his sister was standing on the edge of the court, and the look on her face said it all. Oh yeah.
Jackass was going down.
And thankfully his father was with him on it.
“She’s doing the best she can, jackass,” Sam piped up, starting to shift so that he was standing. “It’s just high school sports-lay off.”
“Save it for an after school special, gigantor,” the man snapped back. “Some people actually take this sport seriously.”
That was so not the right thing to say.
Sam’s jaw tightened, one hand curling into a fist, and Michael just sat there with an amused look on his face. “Oh, man,” Michael sighed, one hand coming up to rub at his chin. “You’re about to get Hulked out on, dude.”
The man’s face contorted in confusion as he started to turn around, and then he saw Sam. And looked up. “Shi-” The punch came fast, because his father had been throwing punches since he was old enough to do so, and when the guy went down, the gym went dead silent. Sophia was staring up at them with wide eyes, but Michael wasn’t looking at that. Michael was looking at the people who were coming closer to gang up on them.
This … was going to be a long game.
***
“You know, Dad,” he sighed as he placed an ice pack against the black eye that was forming on his face. “This is why Mom doesn’t take us places.”
Sam winced as he settled into the seat outside the principal’s office, then sighed as he slumped. “Yeah, I know.”
Michael nodded slowly for a moment, before looking back at Sam with a grin. “But look at it this way-at least she can’t expel me anymore.”
Sam chuckled, before shaking his head. “Doesn’t necessarily make it a good thing.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He settled back into his seat again, just letting the feeling of the ice sinking into his skin. The principal’s office was quiet for a moment, until there was the squeak! of sneakers coming down the hallway. A few seconds later, Sophia and Bela appeared in the doorway, Bela looking mostly annoyed while Sophia looked uncertain. Michael and Sam both took a breath and started to push themselves to their feet.
Once they were up, Sophia started forward, jogging over to the two of them and throwing her arms around them both. They were both taken aback for a moment, but they each slid an arm around her in turn, and pulled her in closer.
“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing them both. Michael just smiled, and nodded.
“Anytime, kid sister.”
796 words
“Let’s go Bull-Dogs!” CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP.
Michael’s hands clapped idly along with the rhythm of the chants as he sat next to his father at his sister’s basketball game. It wasn’t his particular idea of a good time, but it was one of the few things Sophia did that he could actually tolerate, so he attended. Basketball was down there on his list of favorite sports, but his sister enjoyed it, and she was good at it, so that made it a little easier to bear.
Tonight wasn’t her night, though.
The Bulldogs were down by ten points and Sophia’s shots were all dropping like bricks. She was beating herself up regarding it, and it was obvious, but as it was, Michael couldn’t help the wince as the ball circled the rim, before slipping off and dropping back down to the ground again.
“Man, she is not having a good night,” Michael cringed. “Everything okay?”
“You think she talks to me?” Sam said, raising an eyebrow. “She talks to her mother if we’re lucky. Otherwise, she just storms off to her room and stews.”
Michael cringed, shaking his head as another shot bounced off the rim. “There’s something going on.” He felt his father sigh next to him, but he knew there was nothing they could do. Sophia was like their mother, she kept her cards close as she could until she absolutely had to, and when it affected her performance, she kicked herself for it.
There was missed chest pass to her, and that seemed to be the end of it for the crowd. One of the parents in front of Sam and Michael pushed himself to his feet and started heckling like the angry basketball dad he was.
“Damnit Coach, what are you doing? The girl’s dropping the ball like a brick. Yank her out and get someone with actual skill in there.”
At that, both Sam and Michael straightened behind him. They knew that Sophia wasn’t playing to her potential, but that didn’t mean that this douchebag got to call her out on it. Michael’s eyes wandered down to where his sister was standing on the edge of the court, and the look on her face said it all. Oh yeah.
Jackass was going down.
And thankfully his father was with him on it.
“She’s doing the best she can, jackass,” Sam piped up, starting to shift so that he was standing. “It’s just high school sports-lay off.”
“Save it for an after school special, gigantor,” the man snapped back. “Some people actually take this sport seriously.”
That was so not the right thing to say.
Sam’s jaw tightened, one hand curling into a fist, and Michael just sat there with an amused look on his face. “Oh, man,” Michael sighed, one hand coming up to rub at his chin. “You’re about to get Hulked out on, dude.”
The man’s face contorted in confusion as he started to turn around, and then he saw Sam. And looked up. “Shi-” The punch came fast, because his father had been throwing punches since he was old enough to do so, and when the guy went down, the gym went dead silent. Sophia was staring up at them with wide eyes, but Michael wasn’t looking at that. Michael was looking at the people who were coming closer to gang up on them.
This … was going to be a long game.
***
“You know, Dad,” he sighed as he placed an ice pack against the black eye that was forming on his face. “This is why Mom doesn’t take us places.”
Sam winced as he settled into the seat outside the principal’s office, then sighed as he slumped. “Yeah, I know.”
Michael nodded slowly for a moment, before looking back at Sam with a grin. “But look at it this way-at least she can’t expel me anymore.”
Sam chuckled, before shaking his head. “Doesn’t necessarily make it a good thing.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He settled back into his seat again, just letting the feeling of the ice sinking into his skin. The principal’s office was quiet for a moment, until there was the squeak! of sneakers coming down the hallway. A few seconds later, Sophia and Bela appeared in the doorway, Bela looking mostly annoyed while Sophia looked uncertain. Michael and Sam both took a breath and started to push themselves to their feet.
Once they were up, Sophia started forward, jogging over to the two of them and throwing her arms around them both. They were both taken aback for a moment, but they each slid an arm around her in turn, and pulled her in closer.
“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing them both. Michael just smiled, and nodded.
“Anytime, kid sister.”
796 words